Chapter 9
9
GENESIS
M idas found me in the diner, still trying to wrap my head around what happened and get my dick under control. Him wanting coffee before we left at least gave me time to pull my shit together.
We got back to the compound the same time Blade did. I park my bike and wait for him. "How'd it go?"
"Everything looks good so far." He pulls out an ultrasound picture and hands it to me as Midas walks over.
"So, twins, huh? I hope for your sake they're boys, Prez, or you're gonna be fucked. Especially if they look like their mom."
"Fuck, don't even joke about that."
I stare at the inky blob, not really sure what I'm looking at.
Blade laughs and takes pity on me, pointing out the two sacs with little black beans inside. "Now that she's hit the twelve-week mark, we'll let the family know."
"That's going to be interesting."
Midas laughs. "Can you imagine if you do have daughters what their dating lives would look like? Aside from Conan the fucking giant and Inigo the asshole wanting to rip any potential boyfriend's head off, they'll have to go through you—the president of Raven Souls—and King—the ex-president of Kings of Carnage and operative for whatever alphabet agency he belonged to. Then the rest of their aunts and uncles are MC royalty, assassins, and hell, isn't one some Bratva prince?"
I wince, feeling sorry for the kids, but Blade grins.
"No handsy motherfuckers will be getting near my girls, that's for sure. Speaking of assassin aunts and Bratva uncles, Aslanov and Dulce are flying in next week to visit Sunshine. We'll tell them then. My sister is out of the country, so I'll wait for her to come home before telling her, but you know what Justice is like. She'll buy out the whole fucking toy store and have the clubhouse baby-proofed before Sunshine even reaches her third trimester."
"She loves you. Nothing wrong with that."
"True."
We all head for the saloon, nodding to a couple of other brothers we pass along the way.
"It might have taken Justice a while to come around to the MC lifestyle, but she did."
"That was all Sunshine and Alex. Justice fell in love with them first. She treated Alex like blood from day one." Blade admits.
I shake my head. "She's a good person. I can't say I blame her for keeping her distance before then, though. Bear always seemed to have his eye on her, and I know she wasn't interested."
"A lot's changed since then." Midas sighs.
"Something wrong?" Blade asks him.
"No."
"Nothing to do with Amanda?"
He glares at me.
"Amanda?" Blade looks between us.
"She works for Jimmy."
"Name doesn't ring a bell, but it's been a while since I was there. She catch your eye?"
"She has boobs. What's not to notice?"
"You like her?"
"We gonna talk about our feelings now?"
"I'm feeling like punching you. Does that count?" Blade asks, making me laugh.
"Speaking of punching, when are we going to deal with Hicks?"
"He's out. He was already on his last chance. I'm not fucking around with this shit. Sunshine almost got hurt the last time we got lax with our screening process, and we barely avoided a war with Carnage. I'm getting too old for all this fucking bullshit."
I can't say I disagree.
We head to the shack where Hicks is chained to the wall by his ankle. He looks up when we walk in, his face going white when he sees Blade.
"I'm sorry. She was just a mouthy bitch. I swear I was putting her in her place to protect the club."
I lean against the wall and watch as Blade storms over to him and yanks his head back, a knife in his hand that I never even saw him pull. There's a reason for his name, after all. His knife skills are unparalleled.
"And who are you to put anyone in their place, huh? You're nothing. A runt at best." He trails the tip of the knife across Hicks's face.
The guy looks like he's about two seconds away from pissing himself. "It won't happen again. I'm sorry."
"You're damn right it won't happen again. You think I want you around my woman?"
"Old ladies are off-limits. I know that, but she was nothing but a whore."
I tense, ready to rip his fucking head off, but Blade is already on it. He backhands him across the face.
"You're done here. Get your shit and get out of my clubhouse. I'll give you two days to get the fuck out of my town before I make sure you never leave."
"You can't. Not for some cunt," he hisses.
Blade digs his knife into Hicks's eyebrow and drags the knife down his cheek to his chin, splitting the skin wide open as Hicks screams.
"Now I know you didn't just tell me what the fuck I should do in my own motherfucking club," Blade says, wiping the blood off his knife before putting it away.
Hicks is sobbing now, which earns a chuckle from Midas.
"I didn't realize what a fucking pussy you were, Hicks. Glad we found out now."
Midas grabs him, and I step forward, pulling out my brass knuckles. I slide them onto my fingers and grin at him as he struggles in Midas's hold.
"You like? I never leave home without them." I pull my arm back and punch him in the side of the face Blade just cut.
He screams, and I hit him again and again, blood covering my fist.
"Enough, I get it. I'll leave," he cries.
"Man the fuck-up, pussy. You thought you were a big shot last night, pointing a gun at an unarmed woman and forcing her to give you head. If Amity hadn't been able to handle herself, you would've ignored her tears and pleas to stop. So why the fuck should I show you any mercy?"
I punch him in the stomach, unleashing a series of blows that steal his breath and make his legs buckle, but Midas's hold on him keeps him upright.
"It's ironic that Amity's skill at disarming you is why you're gonna get to walk out of here. If you'd laid a single finger on her, I would've killed you myself."
I punch him in the face again, hitting the bridge of his nose and shattering the bone, splattering me with blood. My next punch hits him in the temple, knocking him out cold.
Midas drops him to the floor, and I smirk when his head bounces off the ground with a sickening thud.
"Get Dice and Hoops to pack up his shit and get him out of here. I want them to see firsthand what's in store for them if they fuck up," Blade tells Midas.
Midas nods and heads out to get them.
"You find out anything else about this Amity chick?" Blade asks as I wash the blood off my hands.
"I found out I want her."
"Not trying to cock-block you, G, but you gotta know more about her first."
"I'm working on it. But I don't think she's some spy sent to check out the club. Call it a gut feeling."
"Not sure you're objective on this one, G. I'm gonna need more than just your gut feeling. Find out her life story before you go there. I won't put this club at risk, not after what its already been through. And this girl is more than she seems. Makes me think back to when we found out King and his Ex Melly were undercover agents over at Carnage and Chaos. That ninja shit Amity just pulled isn't something an average Joe can usually do, but it is something she might have picked up as a FED.
I grit my teeth, but I don't say anything. Truth is, I know enough basic information to find out her whole life story. I've just been stalling.
Grabbing a hand towel off the rack, I decide to switch gears."The movie starts filming tomorrow. I heard that most of the cast and crew are staying at the Bridgend."
"Not like they've got much choice unless they want to pay by the hour," Blade snorts. "You got a date yet for when they want to film here?"
"Yeah, the nineteenth, assuming everything's on schedule."
"Alright, let everyone know. I want this place ready and everyone on their best behavior. If anyone fucking complains, remind them all that they agreed to this bullshit."
I nod and follow Blade out of the shack, slipping my brass knuckles into my pocket. I leave Blade at the saloon and head off to the gun range for a bit, needing a distraction.
Blade wants me to dig deep into Amity, and even though I know why, it still pisses me off. Something tells me invading her privacy like that, on top of everything else the club pulled, will be the final nail in the coffin. Blade's forcing me into a corner here. I don't know if he realizes it or if he just doesn't care, but I'm not ready to walk away from Amity yet. I can't get her out of my head, and I can't remember the last time that happened with a woman.
With a growl, I shake my head and focus on the task at hand. Loading my gun, I adjust my grip, line up my shot, and pull the trigger. The steady rhythm of gunfire provides a brief escape.
By the time I'm done, the sun's going down, and the music in the clubhouse is blaring. With a sigh, I pack up and head back to the saloon.
"Hey, G. I was wondering where you were. You want some company?"
I look over at Legs as she walks up to me. I offer her a grin but shake my head. "I'm glad someone missed me. I've got a shitload of things to do, though."
She shrugs. "No worries." Her head dips down, and she lets out a sigh as she turns to walk away.
I reach out and gently grab her arm. "Everything okay?"
Legs is a lot like Lil in that most of us don't see her as just a club bunny. She's someone who always has time for everyone, whether it's a brother, an old lady, or another club girl. She's sweet despite having lived a tough life that's hardened her. She came to us after everything went down with Bear. Many club girls wanted to leave here but not necessarily the life. Thanks to our ties with the Chaos Demons, some of the bunnies switched clubs.
"Sure. All good. I'll let you get back to it."
"Legs."
She looks at me and forces a grin. "Just an off day. You know how it is."
Yeah, I'm not buying that shit. I take her hand and pull her along with me back to the clubhouse, bringing her to my office. I tug her inside and guide her over to one of the chairs.
"Talk, or I'll drag you in front of Blade."
She runs her fingers through her hair. "I think it's time for me to go."
"Go where?"
"I don't know. Away from here."
"Something happened?" I cross my arms over my chest.
"No. I'm just tired, G. Being a bunny is all I've ever known. Some of it was good, and some of it sucked." She snorts.
"I was a tough kid who thought I could handle anything thrown at me." She swallows hard. "But now, I guess I just need more. I'm twenty-nine. Getting on my knees is much harder than it used to be," she jokes, making me chuckle.
"We both know you're in better shape than most people out there, brothers included. I see you doing your yoga shit every morning. I've also put your legs behind your head once or twice." I wiggle my eyebrows, making her laugh this time.
"I love you guys. I've seen the good and bad MCs have to offer, and these last few years with you all have been some of the happiest—" She bites her lip and looks away, but not before I catch the sight of tears in her eyes. "The happiest years of my life, and I spent them on my knees and on my back. Even I know that's fucked up. I guess I've always been forced to live in the moment. But now, with Sunshine being pregnant?—"
"You want what she has," I finish for her.
"I want a baby," she whispers, wiping away a tear that slips free. "I want a man. Not two or three or four. Just one guy who'll love me like I'm something special. Who won't kick me out of bed before the sun rises or slap me on the ass and send me on my way as soon as he's shot his load."
I spin the empty chair around and straddle it. "I get it. And you deserve all those things."
She laughs, but there's nothing happy about it. "Who the fuck's going to want me, G? Nobody wants to marry a whore, and I won't marry someone I have to lie to. I can't. I?—"
I reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear, then tip her head back so she's looking at me. "There's someone out there for you. No doubt about it. He won't care about your past, only your future with him. He won't see you the way you see yourself. He'll see what you really are."
"Used up?"
I shake my head. "Ready for something more."
She lets out a shaky breath and gives me a small smile, this one real. "Thanks, G."
"That's what family does, Legs. Remember that because even if you leave, you'll always be a Raven."
"Dammit, you're gonna make me cry again." She wipes her face and scowls at me, making me grin.
"Alright, enough mushy shit. How do you feel about helping me out?"
"Okay, I'll bite. What do you need?"
"I need to understand women."
"I hate to say this, G, especially after how sweet you've just been, but you're fucked."
"What?"
"You're already at a disadvantage because you're a man. Even the smartest guy still thinks like a man. It's hard to explain what that means to a guy who…" She bites her lip before pulling out her phone.
I frown, watching as she dials a number and puts the call on speaker.
"Legs? Everything okay?" Sunshine's voice comes through the phone.
"Yeah. Can I ask you a few things?"
"Sure."
"Have you ever crossed the street to escape a guy walking behind you?"
"Of course."
"Do you take the long way home to avoid passing a bar or club?"
"Yeah, if I'm on my own, for sure."
"You carry your keys between your fingers?—"
"In a parking lot or when I'm heading toward my car, yeah. We all do, don't we?"
"I do. How about running? Do you do that at night?"
She laughs. "Are you nuts? I hate running as it is; I don't need a guy chasing me to make me hate it more. No, I run in the morning. I stick to places where I know there will be other people and switch up my routes so that no one knows exactly where I'll be unless I tell them."
"Thanks, Sunshine. That's all I needed."
Legs hangs up and looks at me.
"And that's all women?"
She nods.
"I don't understand. I know there are some shifty men out there, but we're not all like that."
"I know. But can you tell which ones are the good ones?"
I open my mouth to answer before closing it again, getting her point. "I can't."
"Neither can we. So, we have to assume all men could be a threat. It sucks, but it is what it is. Now, this is just how I explained it—other women might see it differently. But I have a funny feeling you're trying to get a better understanding of women because you like one. And if I had to put money on it, I'd say it's the pretty feisty one from last night."
"Maybe."
"You guys already made a shitty impression. Not all of you, but some. As far as she's concerned, this place isn't safe for her, which means you're not safe for her."
"I just need a chance to prove her wrong."
"But what if she's right, G? MC life isn't for everyone. It's especially brutal for women who aren't old ladies. She has no protection here. She's a nobody. She faced off with a prospect who'd already had too many warnings. Blade won't care about him, but what if it had been a full brother? What if that brother decided to make an example of her?" His cut makes him more important whether she's right or not."
"Nobody will mess with her again," I say through gritted teeth.
"You can't guarantee that, and as a civilian, she has no idea how an MC operates. She sure as hell won't know what she can and can't get away with. She's not the type of woman to back down, and without knowing the rules, she'll end up…" She trails off, letting me fill in the blanks.
"I'm not trying to scare you off. I'm just telling you to be sure because you'll have to lay everything out for her—no holding back, no secrets. She won't accept anything less."
I get to my feet and start pacing. "Nothing's ever fucking easy."
"Nothing worth having ever is. But if you play your cards right, G, that woman, well, I can already tell she'd be your ride-or-die."
"I'll be honest, I don't know if anything will come of this, but I like her. There's just something about her that calls to me."
"Then be honest with her. Lay your cards down and let the chips fall where they may."
"I can't until I know more about her. I have to make sure she isn't a threat to the club."
"So run a background check, but for the love of God, tell her. Or better yet, try asking her some questions first, like a normal person."
"Fuck, this is why I don't date."
"And you think she's not having a similar conversation with herself right now?" Legs smirks. "Take it slow, G. Falling in love doesn't happen overnight."
"Whoa, I didn't say anything about falling in love."
"Then what's the point in dating? You want to fuck, fuck a bunny. At least they know the score."
"I don't want a bunny. I want her."
"Then make her your everything. Because if you don't, someone else will."
"The club always comes first, Legs," I remind her softly.
She stands up and walks over to the window. I follow and see Midas fucking a bunny up against the side of the building. I look at her and see a flash of pain cross her face before it's gone.
Ah, shit.
She looks at me, that sad expression back again, the picture becoming clearer.
"I know the club comes first. It always does. But fun fact: you'd leave the club for the right woman."
She raises her hand when I open my mouth to protest.
"But the right woman—she'd make you stay."